Candle-holder.



PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

L. M. WILDE.

CANDLE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED DOT. 26,1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT orFICE.

CANDLE-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed October 26,1905- Serial No, 284,416i

To (all who)? it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEwIs M. VVILDE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of North Walpole, in the county of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Candle-Holders, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representirg like parts.

This invention relates to a can dle-holder which has been especially designed for use in religous services, although it will be evident that the candle-holder may be used in a great variety of places.

The invention comprises a counterweighted candle-receptacle to receive the candle, means to engage the lighted end of the candle, so as to maintain the flame at substantially a fixed point, and means to vary the el'lective weight of the counterweight as the candle burns.

I will first describe one embodiment of my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an improved candle-holder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical view thereof at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line x :0, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line y y. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the top of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail showing the manner in which the snufting device operates, and Fig. 8 is a view showing the manner of insertin g the candle into the holder.

The candle, which is designated by 3, is received and sustained by a candle-receptacle 4, which is capable of vertical movement and which in this embodiment of my invention is guided in its movements by suitable guides5. These guides are secured at one end to a lower head 6 and at the other end to an upper head or top piece 7, the latter having a central aperture 8 therein, through which the exposed portion of the wick of the candle extends.

The candle-receptacle and candle contained therein are counter weighted, the counterweight being of such a size as to overbalance the weight of the candle and receptacle, and thereby tend to keep the candle elevated. In order to maintain the flame at a constant point at the top of the holder, I have provided suitable means, hereinafter to be described,

to engage the lighted end of the candle, the candle being held against said means by the counterweight.

The counterweight is designated generally by 9, and it is shown as made in two sections 10 and 11. The section 11 is secured to the candle-receptacle by means of flexible cords 12, which pass over guide-pulleys 13, secured to the top head 7 The section 10 of the counterweight restsloosely on the lower section 11 and suitable means are provided to relieve the candle-receptacle of the top section 10 as the candle burns, and the counterweight consequently descends, so that when the candle is nearly burned out the e'l'lective weight of the counterweight will be decreased. To accomplish this, I have provided certain of the guides 5 with projections or stops 14 (see Fig. 3) and have provided the upper section 10 of the counterweight with other projections or lugs 15, which, are adapted to engage the projections 14 as the counterweight descends. The projections 14 are so positioned that when the candle gets approximately half burned out the projections on the counterweight-section 10 engage the stops 11, thereby relieving the candle-receptacle of the upper section of the counterweight. The weight of the section 1 1 is such that it will slightly overbalance the weight of the candle-receptacle and the remaining portion of the candle.

The means I have herein shown for engaging the lighted end of the candle comprises dogs or pawls 16, pivoted to either the top piece 7 or to the guides 5, said dogs each having a nose portion 17 adapted to project over the top of the candle, as shown in Fig. 2, and thereby prevent the candle from being ejected through the aperture 8 by the counterweight. By using pivoted dogs for this purpose a fresh candle may be readily inserted into the holder, as shown in Fig. 8, the dogs swinging on their pivots to permit the candle to enter. IVhen the candle has been entirely inserted, the dogs swing into their operative position, with their nose overthe end of the candle by the action of gravity.

I have also shown a device for automatically extinguishing the candle when it is nearly exhausted. The extinguisher herein shown is in the form of a lid or cover 20 for the aperture 8, said lid being hinged to the cap 7, as at 21,and being acted on by a suitable spring 22, which tends normally to close the cover.

The cover is held in its open position by latch 23, which is herein shown as slidably mounted on or in one of th'eguides 5. Said latch has projecting from its lower end a projection or ear 24, which is in position to be en gaged by a projection 25 on the candle-receptacle as the latter approaches the upper end of the holder. When, therefore, the candle is nearly burned out and the candle-receptacle has been forced nearly to the top of the holder, the projection 25 engages the ear 24 and raises the latch 23, thus releasing the cover 20 and allowing it to close. The closing of the door obviously extinguishes the candle. After the candle has been extinguished a new candle may be readily inserted, as above described.

I propose to inclose the parts thus far described in a suitable casing 26, which may have any suitable or usual construction. The casing is shown as having a plurality of airholes .27 to supply the necessary air for the proper burning of the flame.

It will be noted from Fi s. 1 and 6 that the base of the flame is slight y below the aper-' ture 8, and by providing the air-holes 27 sufficient air is supplied to the flame so that the candle will burn freely and without smoking.

The guide-rods 5, with their attached heads,

and the candle are preferably made removable from the casing 26, sothat, if desired, said guide-rods may be removed entirely from the casing to permit the parts to be cleaned or repaired.

Various changes in the construction of the device may be made without departing from the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a candle-holder, a counterweighted vertically movable candle receptacle, and means to vary the effective weight of the counterweight as the candle burns.

2. In a candle-holder, a vertically-movable candle-receptacle, a counterweight connected to the receptacle, and means to relieve the receptacle of a portion of the weight of the counterweight as said receptacle moves upwardly due to the burning of the candle.

3. In a candle-holder, a counterweighted vertically-movable candle-receptacle, means to engage the lighted end of the candle to maintain the flame in a constant position, and

means to vary the eflective weight of the counterweight as the candle burns.

4. In a candle-holder, a vertically-movable candle-receptacle, means to engage the lighted end of the candle thereby to maintain the flame in a constant position, a counterweight connected to the receptacle, and means to relieve the receptacle of a portion of the weight of the counterweight as said receptacle moves upwardly.

5. In a candle-holder, a vertically-movable candle-receptacle, a counterweight connected thereto, means to guide the candle-receptacle in its movement, and means to relieve it of a portion of the weight of the counterweight as the'candle burns.

6. In a candle-holder, a vertically-movable candle-receptacle, a counterweight connected thereto, said counterweight being made in two parts, and means to arrest the movement of one part of the counterweight when the candle is partly burned.

'7. In a candle-holder, a vertically-movable candle-receptacle, a counterweight connected to said receptacle, said counterweight be ing made in two parts, a stop to engage one part as the counterweight descends and thereby relieve the candle-receptacle of a portion 3 of the weight of the counterweight.

8. In a candle-holder, avertically-movable candle-receptacle, guide-rods between which the receptacle moves and by which it is guided, a counterweight encircling the guidebars and connected to the receptacle, said counterweight being made in two parts, and means to arrest the movement of one of the parts when the candle is partially burned.

9. In a candle-holder, a vertically-movable candle-receptacle, a counterweight therefor, and pivoted dogs to engage the lighted end of the candle.

10. In a candle-holder, a vertically-movable candle-receptacle, guide-rods between which said receptacle moves and by which it is guided, a guideway for the receptacle, and dogs pivoted to the guides and adapted to engage the upper end of the candle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS M. WILDE. Witnesses:

FRANCIS A. BOLLES, EDMOND O. BoLLEs. 

